


Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

by Wolfcry22



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: AU, Angst, Anxiety, Fever, Fix-It, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, It Chapter Two, M/M, Nightmares, PTSD, Reddie, Sick Character, Sick Richie Tozier, Sickfic, night terror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:15:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21855913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfcry22/pseuds/Wolfcry22
Summary: Fevered dreams wake up Richie one night through a pretty nasty flu. Eddie tries to get him to talk about it. AU set after IT Chapter Two.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 6
Kudos: 171





	Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

“No! Leave him alone! Get the fuck away from him!”

Eddie gasped as he woke up to hear the burrito of a man beside him screaming at the top of his lungs while they had been sleeping side by side. Eddie was so surprised and jarred that he almost had no idea what was happing. It wasn’t until he was able to snap out of it and realize that it was Richie shaking and screaming beside him that he knew that Richie was having a nightmare.

Richie had always been prone to nightmares, even when they were younger. That much Eddie remembered. He also knew that Richie had struggled with them after they had defeated IT the second time, especially after thinking that Eddie was dead. Richie had been relieved to see his lover emerge from the rubble of the Neibolt house after it had tumbled. The two of them had moved in together soon after that and were now traveling for Richie’s comedy shows. It had been a few months since the events and Richie had struggled with nightmares at the beginning. Things had gotten better with Eddie sitting with Richie through many countless nights of terror. However, it seemed that the nightmares were back and stronger than ever.

Eddie reached over and shook Richie’s shoulders as Richie continued to scream and howl in terror. “Richie, Richie,” Eddie chided fearfully. He had never heard Richie be this enthralled and terrified during a nightmare before. He also was slightly worried about the noise that Richie was causing. They were in a hotel room with fairly thin walls and he knew that Richie’s screams could probably be heard and it was the middle of the night.

“Richie, Richie, wake up,” Eddie exclaimed as he shook Richie powerfully. 

Richie gasped in shock as he nearly sprang up into a sitting position as he whipped his head around to the person that was grabbing him; Eddie. “Hey, hey, it’s me. It’s Eddie,” Eddie explained before Richie could panic anymore than he already was.

Richie gulped. “Eddie?”

“Uh huh. I’m right here,” murmured Eddie with a comforting smile on his face that didn’t travel all the way up to his eyes. “It’s alright. It was just a nightmare.”

Richie shook his head madly. “No, it wasn’t. It wasn’t! Don’t lie to me. I saw what happened. I saw you die right in front of me. I called for you and you didn’t fucking answer! You died and it was all his fault!”

Even though he was awake, his screams were still louder than Eddie would’ve liked. “It was just a nightmare,” Eddie repeated.

Richie’s eyes hardened in rage. “It was not just a nightmare. It all fucking happened, Eddie! I know you don’t know because you were dead, but I saw you die. I saw Pennywise kill you and-“ 

Eddie could tell that Richie was getting worked up. He was breathing almost painfully while his eyes darted around aimlessly while not being able to settle on Eddie. While Richie usually had some pretty horrible nightmares, he was still able to make sense of things when he woke up and he could certainly meet Eddie’s gaze. Something wasn’t right and Eddie needed to figure out what and fast.

Eddie lifted his hands and grasped the sides of Richie’s face to pull him to look at him. Richie’s gaze finally met his, but Eddie could immediately tell that something was off. Richie’s eyes were glassy and dull at the same time while he shivered under Eddie’s touch. Eddie felt the heat pulsing from Richie and he immediately pulled his hands from the side of his face and pressed the back of his hand to Richie’s forehead. “Shit, Richie. You’re burning up. You have a fever,” Eddie gasped.

Richie let out a weak cough as he shook Eddie’s hand off. “I’m fine,” he reported with a bleary sniffle.

“That’s why you had a nightmare. The fever must be making things worse,” Eddie surmised out loud as he snapped his fingers in realization.

Richie narrowed his eyes as he slightly drew back. “I’m fine! I don’t have a fucking fever,” Richie seethed before finishing in a coughing fit that shook his entire body. Sweat began to collect on his forehead and upper brow. Eddie glanced down to see that Richie’s shirt was drenched, despite the fact that he was shivering almost painfully. “My b-bones just ache and I-I’m cold, but I don’t have a fever.”

Eddie threw the covers off of him as his inward germaphobe seemed to go crazy. He disappeared out of the room while Richie pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders with his heart pounding in his chest. The fear was still embedded in him as well as the horrible images of Eddie with the gaping hole in his chest and cheek still oozing blood from the knife wound. Every time he closed his eyes he saw it and the sickening feeling rose inside of him just to recall it.

Eddie arrived back almost suddenly with a box of supplies as well as a thermometer. He had already turned it on as he scrambled back onto the bed and hovered the thermometer in front of Richie’s mouth. “Open up.”

Richie muttered under his breath before humoring Eddie. He opened his mouth and Eddie slid the thermometer under his tongue. The two waited patiently until it beeped with Eddie swiping it from Richie’s mouth. He glanced down and frowned. “103.1. That’s pretty high. No wonder you had a nightmare.”

“I had a nightmare because I saw you die! I always see you die,” rasped Richie with his eyes seeming to water while his voice cracked in emotion.

Eddie set the thermometer down and began to focus on Richie. He was well aware that Richie became emotional when he was sick, but this was taking it to a complete other level when you added a nightmare to it. “I know, but I’m okay now. I’m here with you and I’m not going anywhere,” Eddie reassured as he stretched out his hand to grasp Richie’s hand, squeezing reassuringly. 

Richie sniffled as he glanced up to Eddie. “I can’t loose you again. I can’t,” he blubbered as tears began to roll down his face.

Eddie had comforted Richie through quite a few of his nightmares. However, this seemed different and inherently more difficult. “You’re not going to, I promise. Pennywise is defeated and I’m fine now. We all are.”

“I remember screaming for you and you didn’t answer me,” Richie rambled as if not hearing what Eddie had said first off. “You were always so smart and witty to match me. I always loved you and I was afraid I would never be able to tell you.”

Fear and concern pulsed through Eddie. He reached for the container in front of him and pulled some Tylenol and a bottle of water. He unscrewed the top before placing the pills in Richie’s hand. “Take these.” Richie set them into his mouth while Eddie raised the water bottle to Richie’s lips and he helped Richie sip from it. He then set it back down and prayed that it would help quickly. 103 was way too high of a fever for Eddie’s liking, but he really didn’t want to take Richie to the ER unless he absolutely had to.

Eddie then reached over and pulled the blanket from around Richie and tried to grab his shirt. Richie shoved Eddie’s hand back in shock. “You need to take the shirt off. You’re drenched and that won’t help,” he pleaded as he managed to grasp Richie’s shirt and pulled it over Richie’s head. He momentarily became lost in Richie’s body, which he found insanely attractive, but he forced those thoughts aside to focus on Richie’s heath.

Richie shivered as he glanced down. “You’ll leave me again just like Pennywise said you would. You’d leave because of my dirty little secret.”

“Richie-“

“I look at you and I see you bleeding out. It’s on your lips, on my glasses, on me, and you have the giant gaping hole in your chest and I could do nothing!” Richie’s face suddenly crumpled as the fever and memory cultivated a truly horrible storm of emotions. 

Eddie glanced at Richie almost fearfully as he watched him lift his hands to his face to almost hide behind as sobs racked his shoulders, punctuated by a few coughs and heavy sniffles. He was still shivering from the fever while becoming tangled in the blanket.

“Oh, Rich,” murmured Eddie as he watched the man that he loved completely break down. He frowned as he shifted over to him. “Is it alright if I touch you, Richie?” Richie had been real hesitant and sensitive to touch when he woke up from his nightmares and Eddie had tried his best not to make any sudden movements, especially now. Eddie didn’t want to do anything to push Richie anymore over the edge. 

Richie didn’t answer verbally, but he didn’t seem to disagree either. Eddie took his chances as he reached around Richie’s shoulders, his cool fingers and hand resting on Richie’s bare shoulder. Eddie felt Richie’s body give a powerful shiver as goosebumps appeared on his arms. Eddie leaned over and pressed a kiss against Richie’s cheek. “Shhh, shhhh, let it out. It’s alright to cry. I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”

After hearing Eddie’s voice and having permission to be emotional, he let out a soul crushing sob. He cried heavily while Eddie continued to hug him close to comfort him. Richie whimpered as he turned and buried his head into Eddie’s shoulders for comfort and warmth. His features were drawn as he blubbered beside Eddie.

Eddie longed to make it better, but there was only so much he could do. He gave Richie something for the fever, which seemed to cause most of his emotional outburst. He could also sit through him with the nightmares, but he couldn’t change the past. He couldn’t change what Pennywise did or the pain that had been inflicted on Richie because of Eddie’s death. He would never be able to take back the feelings that rushed over Richie during that time and were now being manifested in horrible nightmares. He could just stay with him and comfort him by just being there to the best of his ability.

“It’s going to be alright. I’m right here. I’m here,” Eddie continued when Richie wasn’t letting out a keening cry.

Richie buried his face harsher into Eddie’s shoulder. “I can’t loose you again!”

“You won’t. You won’t,” Eddie breathed.

“What if I leave you,” Richie cried while letting out a few harsh sniffles through the sobs to force back some of the congestion.

Eddie tried not to laugh at the absurdity of it. “You won’t. I know that you won’t. It was a nightmare and I promise that you’re not going anywhere and neither are I. We’re a team. I love you more than anything and nothing can change that.”

Richie snuffled deeply. “I was alone and Pennywise was taunting me, telling me that you could never love a dirty man like me.”

“It was a lie. Pennywise lies. That’s what he did, but it doesn’t matter anymore because he’s dead. We defeated him. You helped do that and you saved me. Focus on that and not what he put into your head,” Eddie urged as he lifted one of Richie’s hand to his mouth and he gave it a gentle kiss.

“I’m just so scared,” Richie gasped out. “I’m just a weak coward.”

Eddie bristled in shock at hearing Richie say that. He shifted so that Richie had to lift his head from his shoulder. “Look at me,” he coaxed firmly.

Richie slowly turned his head around as Eddie lifted his hands and began to thumb the tears away from his cheeks. “You are anything but weak. You’re a warrior and no one can argue that. You’re strong and smart and caring. Pennywise didn’t fucking know you, but I do and I love you. Do you understand me?”

“Y-Yes,” Richie stammered, hiccuping for breath as he struggled not to cough.

Eddie was relieved that they were getting somewhere. “You’re just having an even harder time because of this stupid fever. Once it goes down things will go a lot smoother, I’m sure of it. Okay?”

“Okay,” Richie breathed.

Once Richie had managed to control his breathing, Eddie knew that it was time to coax him back to sleep. He was sure that Richie would be less than enthusiastic because of his nightmares, but staying up all night while Richie had a fever wouldn’t help either of them in any way. “Why don’t you lay back down?”

“I’ll dream again,” Richie snapped.

Eddie shook his head madly. “No, you won’t, because I’ll be right there. If you even start to twitch I will feel that. I’ll hold you tight and keep you safe.”

“Promise,” Richie asked as he looked up fearfully to Eddie.

Eddie nodded vigorously. “I promise.”

Richie let out another whimper before looking back to his spot on the bed. His eyes were already drooping and he started to shift down. Eddie lowered down beside him and kept his word as he wrapped his arms around Richie’s waist and held him close, his chin rested on Richie’s shoulder. He peppered a few kisses on the back of Richie’s neck, just to remind him that Eddie was there and he wasn’t going anywhere. The heat was still pulsing from Richie, but it didn’t make either of them uncomfortable.

Eddie kept his word and didn’t let go of Richie through the night. He cared so deeply for Richie and he didn’t want anything to happen. Nightmares and fevers were a challenge in their own right and when put together, it was beyond difficult. However, sweet dreams were coming for both of them as long as they managed to rise out the storm.


End file.
